Assigrnoe to



No. 751,867. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904. J. E. MITCHELL.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

lwceawea 6 B five/don v c T i e ,Q ammary 63 lfli'wne Patented February 9, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. MITCHELL, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MITCHELL TONGUELESS BUCKLE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,867, dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Lowell, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Buckles; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my buckle as applied. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the buckle with clamping-plate released from its locking-shoulder. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the buckle. Fig. at is a longitudinal section of the buckle as applied, a thick belt being used. Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary view, a belt of thin character being used.

This invention has relation to tongueless buckles, and has for its object the provision of such a buckle of novel, simple, and eiiicient character.

Vith this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the buckle-frame of skeleton form and having the side bars, front and rear bars, and being entirely open therebetween.

B is the clamping or securing plate or bar of plane character throughout and pivoted at one end portion thereof to the upper face of one of the side frame-bars and adjacent to the front frame-bar C, the pivot-pin bthereof being formed integral with the buckle-frame and upset at the top, a washer I) being located between this upset portion and the plate.

This clamping-plate swings in a plane parallel to that of the buckle-frame and at its opposite end portion is beveled at b to engage a beveled or undercut locking-shoulder D of the opposite side frame-bar and formed by a rise or projection E, having a cam approach 0 and being a face-depression catch of said frame-bar. The clamping-plate being of thin spring character rides up this cam or incline and springs behind the shoulder D, where it is securely held against displacement.

In use the clamping-plate presses or crowds the material of the belt against the binding edge 0 of the front frame-bar, which edge is formed by a rabbet or depression 0 at the rear edge of said bar, thinning the metal at this point and bringing it to one side or out of register with the thin binding edge of the clamping-plate, so that a double-S-form locking-bend is formed in the belt. tion of the belt is received in a keeper F, held in a bend of the other end portion thereof and located to one side of the buckle.

If the belt is of thin character, the clamping-plate is made to lap over the front framebar, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. If the material of the belt is thick, however, this lap is not necessary, the S-form locking-bend being formed without it.

The buckle can be employed with silk or ribbon belts, as it will hold delicate fabrics without injury and most securely.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a buckle, the combination with the front frame-bar thereof, of the thin spring clamp-plate of plane character throughout and hinged at one end portion thereof to one of the side bars of the buckle-frame, and hav-,

ing a path of movement in a plane parallel to that of the buckle, the other side bar of which has a shoulder provided with a cam approach,

The end porsaid plate having at the other end portion thereof, a detachable spring engagement with said shoulder, substantially as specified.

2. In a buckle, the combination with the 5 frame, having the front bar provided'w'ith a rabbeted rear edge, a face-pivot on one side bar in rear of said front bar, and a face-depression catch having a cam approach on the other side bar in rear of said front bar, of the 

